1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a system for handling or positioning structural components or tools comprising a guiding track formed by guiding posts, on which an intermediate support coupled to a displacing mechanism is displaceably mounted, as well as comprising a device for positioning the intermediate support. The problem of the invention is resolved in that the guiding track for the intermediate support has its terminal portions installed in carrier plates, and that the carrier plates are connected via a support plate extending parallel to the guiding track, and that two guiding posts forming the guiding track are situated in a plane extending obliquely to the vertical.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is known from my U.S. Pat. No. 4,369,872 to provide systems for the handling of components comprising several rectilinear guiding tracks aligned angularly with respect to each other and along which a gripper element is displaceable in several spatial directions extending angularly with respect to each other. Mechanical end stops are provided to limit the displacements of the gripper elements along the guiding track in the different spatial directions. If, in this connection, differently positioned stops at one terminal position are placed in the path of displacement of the individual gripper elements, it is possible to impinge on several terminal positions with the gripper element along the longitudinal guiding track. Systems of this nature have proved to be very satisfactory in practice, since the separate positions are precisely reproducible even in the case of a large number of operating cycles and large and rapidly displaced weights. The smoothness of operation and positioning precision at the terminal settings may however be inadequate in many cases of application.
Systems for the handling of components are also known from U.S. 3,760,956--which are known as robots. It is possible with these systems to impinge against optional positions or terminal settings along a guiding track. These different positions are formed either by a device which is continuously active for the purpose of detecting the position of the displaced machine or gripper elements or of their driving elements, or by end stops displaceable along the guiding track which are intended to allow for a decelerating displacement of the machine element or gripper via the drive and of the stopping of the element with optimum precision at the required position. These devices have proved satisfactory in the fields in which spatial paths of displacement are required, but because of the numerous articulation points and the freely projecting arrangement of the grippers, the required smoothness of operation and precise displacement and positioning cannot always be maintained.